Wafuu! The Reaper
by EisenKoubu
Summary: You have to wonder exactly what's behind that innocent face of hers. Perhaps a dark secret relating to her parents? An internal struggle she tries hard to hide? Nope, turns out it's something else, something beyond human comprehension. One-shot. Slight Riki x Kud. Rated T for action violence.


School starts out slow today.

Masato is growing ever more impatient for the classes to end, while most of the other members of our group are wholly concentrated on their studies. Kud seems to be studying the hardest since her English grades are slipping a bit. Everyone is anticipating the next baseball practice, since our last game didn't go so well. But practice makes perfect, I guess.

What bothers me, however, is how Rin looks today. She looks as if she lost a bit of color, and something seems to be bothering her. It's hard to tell what it is from this distance, though. I make a mental note to ask her after first period ends.

"Rin, are you okay? You look strange today." My concerned inquiry is direct and quick once the period ends.

"Can't be any more strange than the rest of you," she responds.

"Rin, look at yourself," Masato pokes in, seeming to have noticed as well. "Have been working your muscles all night last night?"

"You know I don't do that, idiot!" She screams, a quick succession of coughs following it. A couple other members turn their heads at the sound.

"Rin-san, are you okay?" Komari is the first of the girls to ask. "You look like a powdered donut."

"I can't be _that_ delicious..." She answers woozily.

"Natsume-san, do you need some tea?" Kud asks innocently.

"I TOLD YOU GUYS, I'M FINE!" She screams again, following it up with a storm of coughs. Kurugaya approaches Rin without warning and feels her forehead without her consent. Rin struggles, but is ultimately powerless to resist.

"She has a fever," Kurugaya concludes. "Kudoko, can you take her to the girls' dorm so she can rest?"

"Of course~!" Kud agrees quickly and happily.

"I'll join you~" Komari tags along. The two girls take each of Rin's arms and drag her out of the classroom. I turn to Kurugaya, who wears a smug smirk on her face.

"Why didn't you take Rin down there yourself?" I ask her.

"Wasn't really feeling like it," Kurugaya answers. "Better to have those two take care of her rather than me."

I'm afraid to ask what she would do with Rin alone.

* * *

Kud and Komari quietly return during second period, and I approach Kud first to ask how Rin is doing.

"How is Rin doing?"

"She is resting," Kud answers with her sweet innocent face.

"Good to know," I answer. "Komari, would you mind elaborating on that?"

"Quickly brushed aside?! Gaan~!" Kud squeals.

"Well, we took her to the girls' dorm, and the dorm mother helped us get her to her room," Komari explains. "We made sure Rin-san was comfortable until she fell asleep. The dorm mother told us to return to class at that point."

"I sure hope Kyousuke doesn't worry too much about this," I mutter worriedly.

"Worry too much about what?" Directly behind me, to my surprise, is none other than Kyousuke. He sports the same boyish smile that somehow charms many of the girls in the school.

"N-n-nothing! Nothing at all! We were just talking about the English test! Kud might not make it to the baseball practice because of it!" I stammer my way through several false yarns until Kyousuke silences me with his finger.

"Riki, I know about Rin," he states. "She's a strong girl. She will be fine. Kud, however..."

"Wafuu?" Kud looks at Kyousuke in dense confusion.

"...It's been nice knowing you," he pats her on the head in a resigned tone.

"So little faith in me?!" Kud squeals again.

* * *

Lunch break arrives quicker than I thought, and the first to ask me about it is Kud.

"Riki, are you free?" She asks me.

"Yeah, why?"

"I want to visit Rin-san while we have time," Kud cheerily suggests. It makes sense to visit Rin while we have the time, but wouldn't it be a better time to do so after class?

"Sounds like a good idea," Kengo interjects as he stands up. "Make sure you guys tell us how Rin is when you both get back."

"You aren't coming with us?" I ask.

"You have a better chance of getting into the girls' dorm than the rest of us," he smiles confidently. "In the meantime, we'll have to find a replacement pitcher..."

Kengo's voice trails off as he and some of the other members migrate towards the cafeteria. I turn to Kud, who is expectantly waiting for my answer like a puppy ready to play. Could there be any sort of wrong within her?

"Well, I guess it's just the two of us," I sigh with resignation.

"Shall we get going?" Kud asks for confirmation.

"Sure, but let's get some juice first," I nod.

"Retsu getto sumu jioosu~" She chirps down the hallway in broken English.

* * *

On our way to the girls' dorm, we each slurp up our respective juice. I chose something simple: a boxed apple juice. Kud, on the other hand, decided on a can of oolong tea. I knew she liked drinking and especially brewing tea, but isn't canned tea not as good?

On another note, not very many people seem to be out today. Perhaps it's because winter hasn't left yet and the girls aren't willing to go outside. The only girl daring enough to eat outside is Mio, who still sits by her usual tree, reading poetry. I imagine it must be pretty uncomfortable for Kud to be outside as well, despite being bundled head to toe for such an occasion. I suppose that's why she chose the oolong tea.

"Here we are~" Kud announces as we reach the dorm house. The dorm mother approaches us, bundled in fairly warm clothing.

"Hello, Noumi-san, Naoe-san," she greets us. "Are you here to visit Natsume-san?"

"Hai, indeed we are," Kud nods.

"I trust your visit will be quick?" The dorm mother asks. "Lunch time isn't exactly the best time to visit sick students."

"We know that, ma'am," I respond. "We will be quick."

With that, the dorm mother leads us into the girls' dorm without any opposition. Kud leads the rest of the way, which goes smoothly until one of the doors flies out into the corridor, just barely missing us. From beyond the dust, a gun is pointed at my face, and Kud squeals in terror. "Wafuu!"

"Oh, it's you guys," Saya responds with a dull voice, lowering her gun. "I was hoping she would show up."

"Who?" I ask.

"Top secret," she answers. "There's an epidemic coming, and I have to find the progenitor, fast!"

With that, she rushes behind us and out of sight. I have no idea what's going on with Saya today, but when she acts up like this, it's probably some sort of tantrum she'll take out on some part of the school. I can't get involved in that.

"Wafuu~" Kud breathes a sigh of relief. "Saya's acting strange today."

"Yeah," I comment. "Stranger than Rin was this morning."

"Maybe she's sick, too?" Kud infers. I would point out her fallacy if we weren't pressed for time.

"Let's go, Kud," I remind her.

"Oh, right!" She remembers. She continues leading the way to Rin's room.

* * *

I knock twice before opening the door.

"Pardon the intrusion," I announce my arrival.

"Riki..." Rin utters weakly. I observe Rin's sickly state. Her face is flushed and sweating. The washcloth on her forehead is drying up. Her breathing is hoarse. It could just be a virus in her acting up. Maybe Kyousuke knew she would be fine soon.

"...!" Kud jumps upon entering the room. Her eyes widen in surprise, and her fingers tremble.

"Are you okay, Kud?" I ask her, concerned.

"Huh? Uh...Hai..." By the sound of her voice, she doesn't sound so confident. I'll have to keep watch on the both of them. I walk up to Rin, my cold bare hand grasping her warm one.

"Riki...you're here..." Rin's eyes look dull and drowsy, as if unable to tell who I am visually.

"Yes, I'm here," I tell her. "Kud is here, too. We came to see you."

"Kud..." She seems too weak to even turn her own head. "Riki...take care...of the...idiots...for me..." Her hand goes limp, her eyes close, and her breathing becomes staggered. Kud runs out of the room without prior warning. I run after her, wondering why she left so quickly.

"Kud! Where are you going?!" I yell from across the hall. She isn't a fast runner, so I end up catching up quickly. "Kud, Kud! What's going on?"

"I can't...I just can't bear it..." She's crying. I'm not sure what she's talking about, but now isn't the time to panic. I have to find help!

"We need to get Rin to a hospital!" I tell her. "Go tell the dorm mother! I'll keep Rin company!"

"H-hai!" She runs off while I return to Rin's side. I grip her hand once more, hoping to keep her spirits up for as long as possible.

"Please hurry, Kud..." I mutter impatiently.

* * *

It feels like such a short time passed between then and the moment Rin is driven away to the hospital in an ambulance. Both Kud and I watch it leave the school, our sunset-lit faces full of regret and sorrow. How would I break this to the guys, especially Kyousuke?

"Um...Riki?" Kud addresses me without any hint of confidence. "I'm sorry..."

"Don't apologize," I answer her. "You did nothing wrong."

Truthfully, I don't think either of us were in the wrong. We had no idea Rin was in the state she's in until now. It depresses me to think as much, but I don't think we could have done anything about it beyond what we've already done.

"Why are you two standing around here?" A familiar voice asks us. I turn to see Mio standing behind us, her umbrella absent from her usual demeanor. She seems curious, although it's hard to tell given how subtle her emotions are.

"Nishizono-san..." Kud looks depressed. It's hard to hide the fact that we just saw Rin leave in an ambulance. Mio seems to understand what transpired quickly. Her resulting frown is a subtle one.

"So Natsume-san left for the hospital? Was it that serious?" She asks us.

"Apparently," I answer. "I had no clue she was that sick until I saw for myself."

"I see..." Her eyes lower in sorrow. "I suppose that means we should keep a close eye on Kamikita-san as well..."

"Yeah...Wait, what?!" My interest piques. "Komari is sick too?"

"Yes," she answers. "We had to take her back to her room during lunch break. She should still be there."

The memory of Komari helping Rin to her room comes back to me. Perhaps she must have contracted the same sickness, but for it to act that fast...it doesn't seem natural.

"Kud, Mio, can you two check up on Komari?" I ask them urgently. "I have to tell Kyousuke about this."

Neither of them say anything to object, so I make a run for Kyousuke's room in the men's dorms. Surely he has to know something about what's going on.

* * *

"I honestly couldn't tell you what is going on," Kyousuke answers upon hearing the whole story. "It's not unnatural for people to contract sickness from another."

"But isn't it strange for her to contract it so quickly?" I ask him.

"Perhaps," he answers. "But I think nature works in unpredictable ways. Perhaps it may be kinder to her than to Rin."

I ended up leaving the room feeling dejected and powerless. I didn't even feel willing to eat dinner with the guys. Before I reach my room, I see Kud acting as my only obstacle, still concerned for me.

"Riki? Are you alright?" She asks innocently.

"I'm fine..." I answer dishonestly. I'm not fine. I hate to admit it, but I feel awful, and I don't think it's within Kud's power to help me. I push her aside, and head toward my room.

"Riki!" Those are the last words I hear before my door closes behind me.

* * *

The next morning, I find it hard to arise from my bed. I feel disoriented and dizzy, almost like how I felt when I succumbed to narcolepsy. I don't have it anymore, but this feels like some serious deja vu. I struggle to seize my phone, but it ends up beyond my reach. I scoot myself over just a tad to grab it, but it ends up falling from the drawer. I really should keep it closer by.

Now that it's on the floor, the only thing I need to do is grab it from the floor. I roll off my bunk, and crawl on my two arms until I seize the phone. The first person I think of calling is Masato, so I call him up.

"Hello?" I hear his gruff voice over the ear speaker.

"Masato?" I cough.

"Is that you, Riki? You sound terrible," he replies with concern.

"Yeah," I croak. "I think I'm sick..."

"I see," he sighs. "Well, Kudoko suggested that we stay away until you feel better. Try and get some rest, okay?"

Great, I'm being quarantined.

"Okay," I answer. The call ends, and I attempt to climb back on to the bed, but I hit my head on the wooden rim instead. This is ridiculous, I think to myself. There has to be another way to get back up there...

Instead, I managed to bring my blanket down with me, and I rest on the wooden floor instead. A pair of Masato's unwashed sweats serves as a pillow. Trying not to notice the putrid smell, I close my eyes and regulate my breathing. Before I know it, I'm asleep.

* * *

It's practically nighttime when I wake up. The moonlight brightly illuminates the field of grass outside, while also emphasizing the presence of a dark shadow. The figure stands fairly tall, wearing a white cloak and holding a scythe longer than its body. It seems impossible for someone like that to be carrying something so heavy, and yet, I'm too scared to worry about it. I've heard the myths somewhere in fairy tales meant to scare young kids, and I'm almost entirely sure what's beyond that window.

Death.

The figure inches closer, floating like a spirit with no discernible footsteps. I panic. It would be difficult to run away given the situation I'm in, but I have to try something. I turn on my side, casting off my blanket, and I crawl up to the door. I reach for the doorknob, but my hand falls just short of it. There's no other exit save the window, and the Reaper is closing in fast on that route. What should I do?

What would Kud do?

"...Wafuu?" I squeal.

To my surprise, the figure stops right as it reaches the window. Reaching out its silky white arm up to its hood, it reveals the face beneath the sheltered darkness. The face beneath is both familiar and bewildering to my eyes.

"Kud?!" I croak before coughing a few times. She hangs her head in response, her sorrows going unspoken. I find the strength to crawl closer to her, but she steps back in fear. I don't want her to run from me. She's my friend. Or is she afraid of my sickness? I don't think she should be worrying about that if she really is the reaper of souls. I keep crawling closer, but she refuses to stand beyond a set distance from me.

"Stay away!" She cries out. "Don't open the window!"

My hand hesitates over the window screen. I want to talk to Kud, but she won't come near me. Why? I want to know why...

 _...Don't do it, Riki._

As if Kud's voice is pleading with my mind, my weak arm drops to my side, limp and beaten. Kud breathes a sigh of relief from her distance. The both of us are at a standstill. I clear my throat to ask her something.

"Kud?" I ask. "Are you..." I clear my throat again. "Are you Death?"

She nods, her face stoic and alert. It's rather unlike her to act so serious, even if she is the reaper of souls. I clear my throat for another question.

"Why are you here?" I ask. She hesitates before answering, her face reverting to the mellow expression I expect from Kud.

"I'm sorry, Riki," she answers. "It's close to your time."

Another pause to clear my throat. "Then why haven't you taken me yet?"

"Because..." Tears stream down her face as she struggles to answer. "I don't want to kill you! You're my friend! It was the same for Natsume-san!"

Another pause to clear my throat. "You were going to kill Rin?"

She nods, still crying. "The natural order must be kept. Natsume-san, Komari-san, and you...you all must die tonight. But I can't bring myself to do it..."

Another pause to clear my throat. "Are you the one making everyone sick?"

To my surprise, she shakes her head. "I don't know where the sickness is coming from...but it is slowly killing you all. I can only resist the natural urges for so long..."

"Then give me time to find what's causing this!" I croak, forgetting to clear my throat.

"Huh?" Kud responds with great surprise.

"If I can find a cure for this, and stop the illness from spreading, you won't have to kill us, correct?" I ask her.

She nods, but still expresses concern. "But you don't even know what's causing it..."

"I can sure try!" I yell to the best of my ability. My throat really hurts now. Kud gets the idea, and nods stoically once again. She steps out into the darkness, and I start crawling back to my bed with renewed energy.

* * *

It's Sunday.

I feel well enough now to stand on my own two feet, but I still feel unwell. I put on some casual clothes to partially hide the stink of my sweat. At least three glasses of water are thrown down my throat to make my voice clearer. Finally, I take my cell phone, and walk out.

The first person I see, surprisingly, is Kud. I jump and immediately start back towards my room, but Kud grabs my shirt to stop me. I start undressing, and it surprises Kud enough to release her grip on my shirt. I quickly close the door behind me. That doesn't stop her from knocking.

"...Riki?" She mutters in a melancholic, ghostly voice.

"Go away!" I scream. Seems the gallons of water I drank this morning is working. "I need more time! You can't kill me now!"

"I'm not going to kill you, Riki," she responds. "I want to help you."

"How can you help me?" I refute her words. "You don't know what's causing the sickness!"

"I have leads," she tells me in a low voice. "We can ask people about it."

"What about my disease?" I ask her.

"Just don't touch them," she responds.

"What about you?" I ask her. She falls silent. I must have hit something there. That's when I see her fazing through the wall next to me. I scramble away in fear, and she turns to me with a strong, but not overtly serious face.

"Don't worry about me, Riki," she answers. "I can contain myself for a while."

I can't tell if Kud changed overnight or if she hid something dark underneath her innocent face. I guess it happens with a lot of people with those kinds of secrets, but usually they're pretty good at hiding their innocent, goodly persona. Can Kud really do that, and still get the job done?

* * *

Our first destination is outside, where my throat starts acting up again. I cough a few times while Kud jumps away from me.

"Hue!" She squeals. "Are you okay?"

"Mhm, yeah," I croak as I clear my throat. "Who are we after?"

"...We're going to the baseball field," she answers me, calming down a bit. "Are you sure you want to keep going, though?"

"Yeah," I reply. "We won't find out what's going on without asking someone."

We start our walk to the baseball field, making occasional stops to clear my throat. Eventually we make it to the outskirts, where Sasami of all people is playing out in the field. Sasami seems like the last person to ask about the sickness going on, but we have no real choice in the matter.

"Sasasegawa!" I call out, coughing shortly afterwards. She stops her practice, and faces me with a wide-eyed stare.

"Naoe-san!" She seems rather surprised to see me sick, considering the news should have spread throughout the school like wildfire by now. Her face darkens a bit as I approach, as if cautious about her own health. "...What do you want?"

"Do you have any idea how Rin might have gotten sick?" I ask her in desperation.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she answers, her eyes veering to her left. "Is Natsume-san sick too?"

"She's been hospitalized," I tell her. "Some sort of virus is going around, and some of us are contracting it..." I cover my mouth with my shoulder as I cough. Sasami steps a little further back to avoid the cough.

"Don't spread it onto me!" She yells at me. "Last time I saw Natsume-san was a week ago, and she promised me a rematch! That's why I'm using this place for practice! Now, can you leave me in peace?"

I return to Kud empty-handed. Both of us sigh, although my sigh is accompanied a quick succession of coughs. It's so easy to feel defeated just being rejected by one person.

"What should we do?" I ask Kud.

"We could ask the student council," she suggests.

"You think they would know anything about what's happening to Rin?" I wonder.

"No idea," she smiles. "But it's worth a try."

And so we head inside the school to talk to the student council. Since it's Sunday, the school is closed except for club meetings, so the student council should be meeting today. Just as we reach the front door of the student council room, we find Kanata just leaving the room. Kud and I both agree it would be good to ask her, despite her being a member of the disciplinary club.

"Futaki-san!" I call out to her hoarsely.

"Naoe-kun," she states with a solid frown. "Why aren't you in bed? Do you want this epidemic to spread?"

"I have some questions," I answer her after clearing my throat. "Do you know why this sickness is spreading? Where it comes from?"

A short pause from Kanata follows. After breathing a deep sigh, she answers me. "I'd like to ask the same question. I have no idea exactly where it's coming from, but think about it. Everyone started getting sick after touching Natsume-san. Perhaps there's some clue in her that would save the rest of the sickly, including...Haruka."

She walks away looking dejected, leaving us shocked at the news. The sickness has afflicted Haruka? Just how many of the Little Busters will suffer from this? I can't stand this. I start up to leave, all the while Kud is following me like an obedient, nervous puppy.

"Riki...we still have to talk to the student council," she tries to keep me going. But with that sorrowful face, I don't think I can carry on anymore. There isn't really anything we can do to stop Kud from taking Rin away if Kanata's hypothesis is correct. As much as I hate to admit it...

"Kud," I address her with a whimpering croak. "You must kill Rin."

Kud pauses to take in what I just said, then she grows increasingly frustrated. "...Why? Why would you say that, Riki? I can't sacrifice Rin! She's my friend!"

"You heard what Futaki-san said, right?" I explain myself. "If she's right, it may save the rest of us. If you kill Rin, the rest of us will be able to go on. As much as I hate to say it..."

"No...No! There has to be some other way!" She shakes her head furiously.

"What other choice do we have?" I yell at her. "We have our lead. I'll have to tell Kyousuke the bad news when he-"

Just then, the student council door flies open and a rain of machine gun fire provokes us to get down on the floor. Well, at least I did. The bullets faze through Kud like pebbles in water. When it stops, I see Saya approach her with a combat knife.

"What the heck is going on?!" I scream, clearing my throat afterwards.

"I knew Death was approaching us," she growls. "Are you here for the sickly students?"

"Yeah, we are," Kud nods. "Mei yu herupu mi?"

"You're the one who needs help, little one," she responds, pointing the knife at her throat. "I'm afraid I can't let you take their souls to Purgatory just yet."

"Why are you in the Student Council Room?!" I scream at her.

"Oh, hello Riki-kun," she finally notices me. "Are you in league with Death here?"

"Yeah, but we're not here to kill anyone," I answer her. "We're trying to find who's responsible for the sickness."

"Oh, I already know who that is," she answers, an aloofness in her voice. "She's in the science club room. Better be careful, though. Up close, she will only make your sickness worse."

"How do we stop her?" I ask.

"Simple," she answers, lowering her knife. "Kill her."

"Can we-" Before I can finish my sentence, Kud dashes off to the science room.

"Kud!" No matter how loud I call or how fast I run, she doesn't seem to turn around. A couple hallways later, Kud breaks into the science room, and I can already see sparks flying. I enter the room, my lungs scorching from the heavy physical activity. Both parties stop to look upon me.

I look up to see brown-yellow eyes staring back at me. A shroud of darkness encompasses her countenance, darkening her deep blue shoulder-length hair to an almost pitch black. Even the yellow ribbon on the back of her head is dirtied by the dark aura surrounding her.

"Suginami-san?!" My eyes and mouth widen in shock. "You're the one behind this?" I cough even harder and more frequently than before, which surprises her. So this is what Saya meant when she said the sickness would get worse the closer I get to her...

"Naoe-kun? Are you alright?" She rushes after me, but Kud jumps in the way to reap her soul. The two continue attacking each other, each insistent on protecting me in different ways. I can't ask Kud to kill Suginami, but I can't stop her either. That's when the door slides open, and Saya steps in holding a semi-automatic pistol in the general direction of the combatants.

"Stop!" I jump onto her legs, but that doesn't stop her from pulling the trigger. The bullet fazes through Kud, but it hits Suginami's side, causing her to fall limp and unconscious. Kud turns her head to Saya, who doubles over and coughs after firing her pistol.

"It...is finished," she announces. "That bullet is...an antidote...for the serum she took."

"What serum?" I cough with her.

"One of the...Science club's...experiments," she explains, her voice cracking and out of breath. "From a distance...she can't do anything...but up close..."

So Rin must have been looking in the Science clubroom last week. They've always been doing some pretty crazy stuff, but this is a huge blunder on their part. Perhaps worse than those mutated monsters Rin had to fight against. Still, I'm concerned for Suginami.

"Will she be okay?" I ask her.

"Yes," she sighs, falling limp on the floor.

Kud returns her gaze to Suginami, her scythe by her side. She places the blade on her neck, ready to reap her soul. If I wasn't here, she probably would have done it faster.

"Kud...please don't," I plead to her. "She didn't mean any harm..."

"I know, but...I can't forgive her for making everyone sick," she states. "Her time is near. I can't allow her to live!"

"No!" I stand up and embrace her, in order to keep her from using the scythe. She jumps from the sudden hug, and I can feel her head getting hotter. She drops her scythe, and relaxes in my arms.

"Riki..." She moans. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes," I answer her warmly. "I feel much better now."

"...Thank goodness," she sighs in relief. Even Saya seems to breathe in relief, as she has fallen asleep in the doorway. We both smile and chuckle a bit. It's been a pretty hard day for us, and it seems we'll finally find some relief.

"Let's head back to the dorms," I suggest.

"Yeah," she nods in agreement. "Retsu go!"

* * *

We arrive back in my room by sunset, and sit out by the window, taking in the fresh, cool Sunday air. It feels great to be smelling and breathing normally again. Not that there's much outside to smell beyond the incoming spring allergens.

Something bothers me, though. Now that Kud doesn't have to kill anyone anymore, are things going to go back to the way they were? Will she still be a student here? All these questions arise in my head, and at least one of them tries to come out of my mouth.

"Kud?" I ask.

"Hm?" She turns to me with that innocent, curious face again. It would be hard to see something like that go away.

"Are you going away...now that everything's over with?" I'm afraid of her answer, but I'll try to bear through it.

"What makes you say that?" She replies with an odd face. "I'm still a student here."

"But you're Death," I point out. "Shouldn't you be traveling the world, seeking souls to reap?"

"Just like any business, I am one of many," she answers with a soft smile. "My business is here, with you, Riki."

Those words ease my heart more than the hug back at the science club did. The last thing I want is for Kud to suddenly up and leave after what just happened. I want to do more fun things with her...and with all the Little Busters once they come back from the hospital.

"Hey, Kud," I address her again.

"Hai?" She looks up to me.

"Want to play chess?" I ask. It's kind of stupid to ask, but I've heard that Death is impossibly good at chess. I kind of want to see if Kud would do well.

"What's chess?" She replies, curious about the game. Looks like she might not end up being as good as I imagine.

* * *

Kud and I figure out our way through a simple game of chess well into the next morning. By the time the game is over, she's fast asleep. Despite being entirely new to the game, she did a fair job keeping her pieces in check after losing almost half of them. I won by the skin of my teeth.

I hear a knock on the door soon after.

"Riki? You awake?" It's Masato.

"Yeah, come in," I invite him in.

"Pardon the intrusi...Whoa!" As soon as he sees Kud on the floor, he jumps in wide-eyed surprise. "Riki...did you..."

"We played chess together, yes," I answer him. "She's pretty good at it."

He stands speechless for a few seconds before clearing his throat. "Well, Riki...Kyousuke wanted me to tell you that Rin is coming back from the hospital pretty soon. He wanted me to fetch you."

"Oh, really?" The news comes as a welcome surprise to me. "Then we'd better get going!"

"Shouldn't we wake up Kudoko first?" Masato suggests. I turn my head over to Kud's sleeping face. She's had it hard yesterday, and I think she deserves some rest.

"Nah, it's okay," I respond to him with a peaceful smile. "I'll come wake her up later."

* * *

Hello! EisenKoubu here. I would like to thank KomariKamikita for the inspiration behind this story, and cjlim2007 for helping me formulate the idea. The latter is a good friend of mine and always willing to read my fanfics, as long as it's Key-related. Thank you both! :D

To everyone else, thank you for reading this story! I wanted to go for something simple this time around after writing Messiah, so I felt this was the best way to do it. It lacks the same amount of external description present in Messiah, but Little Busters' setting is pretty self-explanatory: it's a Japanese high school.

It's hard for me to call this a shipping fic, because the focus is on stopping the sickness from spreading. Kud as a Reaper was a little difficult to write for, and I think it came out a little weird. But it's a weird concept to begin with, so I'll let you guys decide how it turned out. Once again, thank you all for reading! :)

EDIT (6/6/16) : Made a few minor changes in the story in order to make dialogue sound more natural. By the way, I'm thinking of writing another story in this same universe... ;)

EDIT (3/23/17) : Some minor cleanup and added bits of text to paint a better picture of what's happening with the plot. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Kud as far as potential fanfics go.


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